


They'll be ok In the End

by theweightofmyfandoms



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dean Centric, Fluff, Human AU, M/M, Past child abuse/nightmares of past child abuse, Slow Burn, death of a child, does this count as Slow Burn?, i think so, john was not a great parent, no supernatural things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24309541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theweightofmyfandoms/pseuds/theweightofmyfandoms
Summary: An out of work Dean gets a job at Singer Auto, where he meets single father Castiel Novak.Human auI know it's been a while but I swear I still intend to update this
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Comments: 15
Kudos: 50





	1. Provenance

PROVENANCE

_noun_

The place of origin or earliest known history of something

Dean dropped his keys and the newspaper on the table. He sighed. It had been a week or two since he had moved into town, and he still didn’t have a job. If he didn’t find one soon, he wasn’t going to be able to pay rent this month. He picked up the paper and opened it to the job section. It hadn’t held anything worthwhile before but who knows. Maybe today would be different.

Today was indeed different. Singer Auto. A mechanic’s job. While Dean had never actually had any formal training, he was pretty good at fixing cars. He decided to stop there tomorrow. The worst that could happen was that he could get turned down. Again. He really hoped that didn’t happen.

He was out of gas. Of course he was. Of course, today would be the day that he ran out of gas. He would have to walk. How far could it be? 

It wasn’t actually that far. A gruff looking man greeted him when he walked in. A very familiar gruff looking man.

“Bobby?”

“Dean? The hell are you doin’ here?”

“Job interview. What are you doing here?”

“This is my shop boy.”

“Singer auto. I should have known it’d be you.”

“And I should have known I’d be lookin’ after you again.”

“You mean I got the job?”

“No, I’m gonna leave you jobless and possibly homeless.” The sentence was more than laced with sarcasm. “Of course you got the job boy.”

“Thank you Bobby. You're the best.”

“Yeah yeah, don’t go spreadin it around. And don’t think I’ll go easy on ya just because you’re my favorite. How’s your brother by the way?”

“I don’t know. He left for college a couple years ago. I haven’t heard from him since.”

“You should call him sometime.”

“Nah he doesn’t wanna talk to me. If he did he’d have called.” Bobby looked skeptical.

Dean looked up when he heard the door between the garage and the office open. A man came out. He had black hair and the bluest eyes Dean had ever seen. He grabbed a tan trench coat, _odd choice_ , Dean thought, and started to the door.

“Wait a second,” Bobby said. “Cas, this is Dean Winchester. He’s gonna be workin with you. Dean, this is Castiel Novak. He’s one of our best.”

“I’m one of your only,” Castiel muttered. Dean stifled a laugh.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Likewise,” Cas answered, shaking it. “Excuse me.” With that, he walked out the door.

“What’s up with him?” Dean asked. Bobby looked up at him.

“Don’t worry about it. The man’s got enough on his plate, I’m surprised he hasn’t dropped dead yet. Just let him be. You can go now Dean, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Dean nodded.

“And call your brother sometime.” Dean nodded again and left.

He found Castiel standing on the sidewalk outside of the shop. As he was watching, a dirty, beat up tan car pulled up. The back door opened and a kid who couldn’t have been more than five or six came sprinting out and into Castiel’s arms. He immediately took off again, Castiel (his father?) chasing after him, coat flying like a superhero's cape.

Dean watched them with a soft smile. His own father would have never allowed something like this to happen. The look of absolute joy on the faces of both parties was something that Dean had never experienced. If he or Sam had ever tried something like that, well, they wouldn’t be laughing as their father chased them around.

Dean was broken out of his thoughts when he felt a small body run directly into his side. The kid wasn’t there for long, but his collision with Dean had slowed him down enough for Castiel to catch up to him and scoop him up in his arms. Castiel sent a fierce glare at Dean over the kid’s head, as if to say _don’t even think of touching him_. Dean wasn’t sure where it came from, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.

Dean watched Castiel and the kid walk away for a moment, before turning and walking back home himself. As he walked, he hummed a little half forgotten tune. He didn’t know where it came from. He supposed it didn’t matter. He had a job now. He was going to be alright.


	2. Chapter Two

Dean woke up blearily as his alarm went off. He slapped it off and rolled onto his back. Why did he have an alarm set again?

He sat up. Right. He had a job now. He couldn’t afford to sleep in. He got out of bed and stumbled to his small kitchen to make coffee. 

Castiel was easy to work with. He never complained, indeed he hardly even spoke. He was good at what he did, however, the silence was getting to Dean. 

_Was Castiel angry? Did I do something to make him angry? I only just met him. He did glare at me yesterday. Oh god he must hate my guts..._ Dean decided to cut that line of thoughts off.

“Hey, do you hate my guts or something?” Castiel looked confused.

“Why would I hate your guts? I have no conflict with your internal organs.”

“Was that a joke?” There was no answer from Castiel, but Dean was sure he could see a faint smile.

“I’m just asking because you glared at me yesterday and you won’t talk to me today and I was wondering if I might have done something to piss you off.” Castiel turned to Dean.

“I was not aware I had made you feel that way. I apologize. I am afraid I have gotten quite used to defending my son from others. I assure you, I do not “hate your guts’.” Dean went back to work, feeling monumentally better knowing that he hadn’t screwed things up with his coworker before they had even really met.

At lunch, Dean met his other coworkers. There was a young woman maybe a few years younger than Dean who looked familiar somehow named Jo, and Bobby. It was a very small operation.

Dean took the time to catch Bobby up on the situation about his dad (dead) and his life so far (pretty boring).

“Does Sam know about your dad?” Dean was about to answer when he stopped and thought about it. Did Sam know? Dean had always assumed he did, but Dean had never actually told him... Bobby rolled his eyes at Dean’s expression.

“Seriously Dean, call your brother.” Dean nodded, but was spared from having to promise anything by the end of their lunch break.

There was a break between customers, and Cas turned to Dean.

“May I ask you something? You do not have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Sure Cas, ask away.”

“You and Mr. Singer seem to know each other.”

“That wasn’t exactly a question, but yeah. We moved around a lot as kids, and sometimes my dad would have my brother and I stay with Bobby while he was off doing... something he never told us about.” Castiel nodded, and went to talk to another customer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took way too long to get done. Still not sure I’m happy with it (again), but you know what? I’m gonna post it anyway, otherwise I probably never will


	3. Dudus Malum

There was a problem. A problem named Metatron. Apparently he was a frequent customer. No one at the shop seemed very happy when the fuzzy-haired man had walked in. It didn't take Dean long to figure out why. Metatron was an ass.

He acted like he knew better than everyone, and kept flirting with Jo. It was incredibly obvious that she was uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to be getting the hint. Finally, Dean decided to intervene.

“Hey,” he said. “Leave her alone, would you? It’s obvious she’s not interested, so just stop.” Metatron turned to him with an incredulous look. Dean guessed that not many people stood up to him.

“And what if I don’t? What are you going to do, hit me? And risk losing your brand new job?” Dean blinked.

“Yeah, I know you’re new here. I’ve seen everyone here but you. Listen boy, I can do anything I want. Anything at all, and you can’t do a single thing about it. You know why? Because you’ll be fired. You have no power here.” He turned back to Jo.

“Now, where were we?” Jo looked about ready to punch him, and Dean was certain he was going to if she didn’t.

“Your car is ready.” Dean almost jumped at Cas’s voice. Metatron looked confused.

“I haven’t even given you my car yet. I just walked here to say hi to miss Harvelle here. You must have someone else in mind.”

“That’s good to hear.” Dean almost jumped again as Bobby spoke from behind him. “You admitting to harassment I mean. It means gettin a restraining order will be a lot easier.” Meatron looked panicked, but only for a moment.

“Oh yeah? Where’s your proof? The town is more likely to believe me than you. You have no evidence.” Bobby just pointed to the camera mounted in the corner.

“Now, I suggest you leave my employee alone, before you dig a deeper hole for yourself.”

“Fine,” Metatron snarled. “But I’ll be back when your little case against me falls through. Just you wait.” Bobby watched him go.

“Dick.”

“I’ll second that,” Dean agreed. Bobby took Jo into his office, leaving Dean and Cas alone.

“That was a pretty good idea,” Dean said. Castiel looked at him.

“He has been coming here for a while. Someone had to do something. He’s a fairly popular local writer though, so we couldn’t make any claims without evidence.”

“So you trick him into confessing. Smart.” “Thank you.” There was a beat of silence.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Dean asked. Castiel nodded.

“Your name. It’s kinda bible-y isn’t it? I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But like, were your parents bible freaks too?” Dean stopped, realizing he was rambling. Castiel let out a quiet laugh.

“Yes, my parents were very religious. My father might as well have been god himself, never there but expecting us to listen to everything he said anyway. You can call me Cas, if you like.” Dean nodded.

“Sounds good, Cas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Used google translate for the chapter title, so I hope it’s not super off


	4. Chapter Four

Over the next few weeks, Dean and Cas got closer. Not necessarily best friends mind you, but close enough that they could probably hang out together outside of work. Not that they ever did, but they were at a level of friendship where they could.

Jo had decided to quit and go work at her mom’s bar for a while. She hoped the presence of her mom would help in keeping Metatron away. Dean thought she was right. He had met her mom when he was younger, and she was tough as nails.

Cas was a little out of it today. This was the third time he had almost impaled Dean , and his hands were covered in various easily avoided scratches. Dean had had enough, and finally decided to ask Cas about it. His distraction was going to get him killed in some sort of freak accident.

“Hey Cas. What’s going on buddy?” Cas looked up, but it seemed as though he was staring through Dean instead of looking at him.

“Cas?” Cas blinked.

“Oh. My apologies, Dean. What was it you were asking?”

“What’s wrong Cas? You’ve been distracted lately. It’s going to get one of us hurt before too long.” Cas took a moment before responding.

“My ex wife. She wants custody of my son. I can’t afford a lawyer.” Dean though for a moment.

“Hey! My brother’s in law school. I can ask him if he can do anything for you, if you want.” Cas offered something that was not quite a smile, but was certainly a valiant effort at one.

“Thank you Dean. I appreciate it.” Dean nodded and turned back to his work. Now all he had to do was call his brother.

...

All he had to do was call his brother. Right. Easier said than done, Dean thought as he paced his small kitchen. It shouldn’t be this difficult. Except that he and his brother hadn’t spoken since Sam had left for college. They had had a fight, and Sam had left angry. Dean hadn’t heard from him since.

He took a deep breath. Might as well get this over with.

Voicemail. It had gone straight to voicemail. Maybe Sam was in class. Or maybe he just didn’t want to talk to Dean. Dean left a message anyway explaining Cas’s situation and tossed the phone down on the table. At least he could tell Cas that he tried.

The phone rang when Dean was cooking dinner. Well, microwaving leftovers, but that counted as cooking, didn’t it? He answered it without checking the caller ID.

“Hey Dean.” Dean almost dropped his food.

“Sammy. Hey. I honestly didn’t expect you to call me back.” There was a soft chuckle from the other side of the line.

“Well you sounded like you needed help. Or rather, your coworker needed help. You do realize I’m still just a student right?”

“Yeah yeah but I figured you might know some things that could help him. You know, since you did decide to pay to learn this stuff.”

“I’ll try. I’ll call you back as soon as I find anything that might help.”

“Thanks. And Sammy?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not mad at you for leaving. You did what was right for you. I’m sorry for arguing with you about it.” There was a moment of silence before,

“Thanks Dean. I’ll call you back with the info later.” Sam hung up.

 _Well_ , Dean figured, _that could have gone worse_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this how it works in real life? Probably not, but this isn’t real life.


	5. Chapter Five

The mail was waiting on Dean’s table when he got home. He really had to get a better lock on his front door. He shifted through it. Bills. Junk. More junk. And something from his brother. That was new. He opened it.

It was a wedding invitation. Quite possibly the last thing Dean had expected it to be. It was in a fairly small venue not too far away from where Dean lived, and it was next week. He supposed he would soon be going to a wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is SUPER short I know and I’m sorry. There was originally more to this but it wasn’t working super well. Also school started again, so there’s that.


	6. Chapter Six

Overtired individuals often tend to have a much quicker temper than usual, and Cas and Dean were no exception.

Dean and Cas were working late for the fifth day in a row, when Cas’s son (who Dean soon found was named Kevin) walked in.

“Dad,” a voice piped up from behind them, “can we go to the fair after you get done with work?” Cas turned around.

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea Kevin.” Kevin pouted, and it reminded Dean of an expression he had seen on a younger face so long ago, asking a similar question. Automatically he moved so he could easily place himself between Cas and his kid if he needed to. Neither one seemed to notice.

“Please dad? We never get to do stuff like this.”

“Kevin, I’m sorry. But you know why we don’t.”

“But dad, I’m good. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“I said no.” Cas’s voice was firm and a little aggravated. Dean moved without thinking, stepping between the two of them, body spread automatically to protect the kid. Cas looked surprised. Dean flinched when he moved. Cas stilled.

“Kevin, go wait in the car. I’ll be out in a moment.”

“But dad-”

“I said go.” Cas’s voice left no room for argument. The kid nodded and left. Dean stood down.

“What was that?” Cas asked. Dean didn’t reply.

“Dean,” Cas said again, “did you really think I would hurt my own son?” All Dean could do was shrug helplessly. Cas looked sad.

“I thought you knew me better than that.” Dean opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when he couldn’t find the words. Cas looked more sad, and Dean felt awful. Neither of them said another word as Cas walked out the door.

Over the next few days Cas was distant. Dean found he missed him. Things became more tense over time, until one day everything just exploded. They had just finished for the day, and Dean was leaving when Cas spoke up.

“Dean, why don’t you trust me?” Dean turned around and gave Cas a questioning glance, even though he knew very well what this was all about. Cas knew he knew as well, and told him so.

“How do you not trust me to not hit my own son Dean? I really thought you knew me better than that. Any parent who does that is not and never has been a real parent.”

“Yeah well you seemed a little angry, and I know how things can escalate.”

“Really? Because it just seems like you don’t trust me with my own child.” Dean looked confused.

“I think you honestly thought I was going to hit Kevin. I may be many things Dean Winchester, but I am not a bad father. I am trying my hardest.”

“Yeah that’s what my dad said too, right before he beat me and my brother. How do I know you’re any different?” It came out angrier than Dean had meant it. Cas looked horrified and a little angry.

“I am sorry about what he did to you, but I am not your father,” Cas said, barely keeping his voice level.

“I wish you wouldn’t project your memories of him onto me.”

With that he walked past Dean and out the door, leaving Dean alone with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back, and you didn’t even have to wait a whole summer this time!  
> When I originally write this chapter, I forgot there was an actual character named Kevin. This child known as Kevin was not meant to be a representation of that Kevin.  
> I suppose I could have renamed him, but I think Kevin fits much better than Steve.


	7. Chapter Seven Time for a Wedding!

It was the day of the wedding. Dean felt, well, he didn’t really know how he felt. He felt happy for his brother, but also sad that he had grown up so fast. And he felt kinda awkward. He and Sam hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms. Honestly, he had been surprised to receive an invitation at all.

He greeted Sam when he arrived. As he walked up to the taller man, he felt as though he was literally radiating tension. He could feel it pouring off of himself in waves, and was sure that his brother could feel it too.

“Sam.”

“Dean.” The brothers shook hands.

“So uh,” Dean began, “Who’s the lucky lady?” Sam looked kinda uncomfortable at that.

“Um yeah, about that...” Dean cocked an eyebrow. “Hisname’sGabriel.”

“Say that again Sammy. It’s hard to understand you when you try to put all your words into one word.”

“His name’s Gabriel.” Sam was starting very intently at Dean, like he was trying to gauge his reaction by staring into his soul.

“Oh,” Dean said. “Ok, well, good for him. And you. Good for both of you.” He trailed off, realized he was rambling, and shut up. Sam let out a laugh, and some of the oppressive tension eased up.

Dean was having an average time at the reception. The ceremony had been beautiful, and Dean had expected nothing less. He was thrilled for his little brother, but now he was just generally avoiding people and trying not to look grumpy. He felt he might be failing though, from the way people were avoiding him.

“Hey man, lighten up.” Dean jumped as Sam’s voice came from behind him.

“Jesus man, don’t do that!” Sam laughed.

“Why do you look so angry dude? There are a bunch of college girls here. I thought that’d be right up your ally.” Dean rolled his eyes. Normally it would be, but he just couldn’t get his argument with Cas out of his head. Unfortunately for him, Sam knew him too well.

“Hey are you ok? You seem a little out of it.” Dean looked up at his brother. _Damn he’d gotten tall._

“Yeah. Yeah! I’m perfect.” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“If you say so...” he said, his tone clearly stating that he didn’t believe Dean in the slightest. It was then that Sam’s husband appeared beside him. Dean almost jumped again. It was like that guy could teleport or something. Then again, maybe it was just because he was constantly below Dean’s line of vision.

“Heya Sammy! This your brother?” he asked.

“Yep,” Sam replied. “This is Dean.”

“I thought so,” Gabriel said. “Those freakishly tall genetics must run in the family.” Dean almost laughed at that.

“You do know that is what genetics do, right?”

“Yeah yeah I know. Actually,” Gabirel said, “My brother’s here too. Where is he...” he muttered, turning to scan the crowd.

“Oh there he is. Cassie! Come on over here!” Dean looked up and _oh god no this could not be happening_. The man heading their way was none other than Castiel. Dean wondered if it was too late to throw himself out of a window. There was a large one right over there, and it was so tempting...

“Dean.”

“Cas.” Sam looked confused.

“Wait, you two know each other?”

“This is my coworker,” Dean said. Sam raised an eyebrow.

“Like the phone call coworker?”

“Yep.”

“Is that it?” Gabriel asked. “Because the tension between you two. Seriously, I feel like I could cut it with a knife.” Neither Cas nor Dean replied.

“Ok ok,” Gabriel said. “Keep your secrets. But I will find out what’s going on brother. I always do.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Cas responded.

Gabriel and Sam got dragged off by some other guests, leaving Dean and Cas standing together awkwardly. Neither really wanted to go anywhere else, but the tension between them was enough to keep other guests away from them.

“So Dean,” Cas started at the same time as Dean said

“So um.” They both stopped short.

“You first,” Dean said.

“No,” Cas said. “I insist you go first.”

“Alright,” Dean agreed. “Well, um, I wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened in the garage. As you can probably tell from that, I didn’t exactly have the best childhood. And those habits, they become part of you. I don’t think you’re an unfit father. I promise I don’t think you would ever do something like that. It’s just, habit, y’know? It’s something I have to do because what if. You know? What if I was wrong and someone gets hurt because of me?” Dean stops, realizing he’s going to cry if he keeps talking.

“I understand,” Cas said. “My father never did what yours did, but he wasn’t really around much either. I know you didn’t mean to imply that I would ever do something like that. It’s just, I already have people talking about me like that. I already have people who think I am an unfit father for one reason or another. People who want to take my son from me. It’s kind of a habit for me too I guess.” Dean nodded.

“Truce?” he asked, extending his hand. Cas gave Dean that little half smile.

“Truce,” he said, reaching out to take Dean’s hand. Before he could however, something hit him in the side of the head. Dean burst out laughing, dissolving whatever tension was left between the two men. Upon inspection, it was a bouquet. Cas and Dean both looked in the direction it came from. Unsurprisingly, there stood Gabriel.

“Come on Cassie!” he called. “You’re supposed to catch it!”

“It’s not that funny,” Cas grumbled. Dean was too busy laughing to agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not dead! Sorry for the long wait, there was one scene transition in here that I just couldn’t figure out for the longest time. Hope you’re all doing well!


	8. Chapter Eight

Things were a lot easier after Dean and Cas had apologized to each other. Dean hadn’t realized it at first, but he had missed Cas. He had missed having a friend, someone he could laugh with. And he felt that he and Cas were growing closer. Maybe they were even entering best friends territory? Dean didn’t remember ever having a best friend besides Sammy.

At first Dean didn’t realize what woke him up. There was a noise somewhere, but it was too early, right? It had to be, it was still dark, so what was that ringing...

His phone. His phone was ringing at what was no doubt an ungodly hour of the night. _Well_ , Dean figured, _they wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t important_. With a groan, he answered it.

“Dean.” It was Cas’s voice, tinged with panic. Dean was instantly awake.

“Cas? What is it?” Cas sounded scared, which made Dean scared.

“Can you pick me up? My car won’t start and it’s an emergency.”

“Of course, just tell me where.” Cas gave Dean his address as Dean pulled on a pair of pants. He couldn’t tell what pants they were, but it didn’t matter. Pants, jacket, keys, car.

“Alright Cas I’m in the car. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Ok. Thank you Dean. Please hurry.” He hung up. Dean stepped on the gas, going what was probably above the speed limit but it didn’t matter. Nobody was going to be out at this hour of, Dean checked the time, 12:47 AM.

He reached Cas’s house far faster then he probably should have. Cas was waiting out front, and climbed into the backseat without Dean saying a word.

“We need to get to the hospital. Now.” Dean nodded and set off again. He glanced in the rearview mirror to see that both Cas and Kevin were in the car, and Kevin didn’t look great. Dean turned his eyes back to the road.

When they got there, Kevin was whisked away in a bustle of quickly-moving nurses and doctors. The whole thing left Dean and Cas out in the waiting room together. Dean considered asking Cas what was going on, but he decided that Cas looked worried enough. He didn’t look like he was planning on talking to anyone soon, as he was pacing with such an intense look on his face that Dean was half afraid to even be seen by Cas. So instead of asking he just sat in a chair in the corner and watched Cas pace back and forth.

He considered getting some more sleep, but the adrenaline of the whole situation wasn't going to let him. Eventually he got up and went to grab some coffee. His mind was too awake to sleep but his body was too tired to be awake. He decided to grab Cas a cup too. He looked like he could use it.

There was a little girl in the cafeteria when he went in. She giggled, which turned into full blown laughter when Dean raised an eyebrow. He glanced down and realized the reason. Not only was his hair a complete mess, but he was also wearing pants with glittery hearts and pandas all over them. Dean glanced around for the girl’s parents, but saw nobody.

“Hey,” he asked softly. “Where are your parents?”

“Mommy’s still at work,” she said. “She works here. Daddy’s away for right now.” Dean nodded and went to get his and Cas’s coffee.

“Why do your pants have sparkly pandas all over them?”

“Because my brother thought it would be funny.”

“He was right.” Dean offered her a half smile before turning to go.

“Hey,” the girl spoke up. “Where are your parents?” Dean turned back around.

“Both of my parents are dead.”

“Oh.” She thought for a minute. “Well, that’s ok. Sometimes people don’t have parents. When I get older, I’ll adopt you and then you’ll have parents again!” Dean smiled.

“I look forward to it. But now I have to get this,” he raised one of the cups, “to my friend back in the waiting room.” “Are his parents dead too?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I can adopt him anyway, and then you can be friends for ever and ever and it won’t even matter if you don’t have parents.” Dean smiled.

“I’ll tell him. I’m sure he'll be happy.” The girl nodded, distracted by the coloring page in front of her again. Dean left quietly. Back in the waiting room Dean offered Cas one of the cups. He took it silently, falling into a chair beside Dean.

“You know,” Dean started quietly, “there was a girl down there who offered to adopt me.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. She found out my parents were dead so she said she’d adopt me when she grew up. She offered to adopt you too.”

“Well consider me adopted,” Cas said. It had obviously meant to be light, but it had come out strained. There were no more words shared between the two that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might just go ahead and post the rest of the chapters tonight, since I can’t seem to stick to any sort of upload schedule.


	9. Chapter Nine

There was a voice gently calling to Dean and a comforting weight on his shoulder. He didn’t want to wake up. Why was there someone talking to him in his own house anyway? He lived alone. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He was in a chair in the waiting room. Right. The waiting room. The hospital. Kevin. Cas. It came back to Dean slowly. The nurse noticed he was awake.

“Excuse me? If you would wake your partner you may come back to see your son now.” She stepped back to let him wake Cas up. Dean was confused for a moment. He turned his head to wake Cas up, only to wind up with a face full of dark hair.

Oh. Cas was asleep on his shoulder. That was why the nurse had thought they were a couple.

Cas looked peaceful in sleep. All of the tension from the night before was gone. Dean almost hated to wake him up. Reluctantly, Dean gently nudged Cas. That was all it took for the other man to blink awake slowly, looking adorably confused until he too recalled the events of last night. Dean hated the way his face immediately filled with tension again, missing the peace that had just been there. Dean gestured to the nurse and Cas nodded and stood. Then after a moment of thought he gestured for Dean to follow him. Dean was slightly surprised, but stood anyway and trailed after Cas and the nurse.

The kid was sitting up in a hospital bed. He was attached to too many machines and there were too many tubes going into his body, and he was too pale. But he was alive. That childlike spark of life was still there. Cas’s face showed nothing but relief as he went to sit by his son. Dean felt that he was intruding on something. Softly, he asked Cas if he wanted any coffee. Cas nodded, and Dean left to get it.

The little girl from the night before was gone, and Dean was back soon. Even though the trip hadn’t taken very long, the kid was asleep by the time Dean got back. He wordlessly handed Cas his cup of coffee and stood back a ways. Eventually Cas stood to face him. There was a wordless question on Dean’s face, but he wasn’t going to ask if Cas didn’t want to talk.

“He has a disease,” Cas began. “He was diagnosed two years ago. There currently isn’t a cure, and it’s typically fatal before age twelve.” Dean nodded.

“I’m sorry.” It was Cas’s turn to nod. “Do you need a ride back home or...” Dean trailed off. Cas shook his head.

“He’s going to be here for a few days at least. I’m going to stay here with him. You can go though.” Dean checked the time and nodded.

“I have to get to work. I’ll tell Bobby where you are. Call me if you need anything.” Cas nodded, and Dean left.

Bobby was sympathetic, and told Dean that he would assign him a temporary partner for the next few days. An intern named Garth. He worked well, and was pretty friendly. Dean liked him. But he wasn’t Cas.


	10. Chapter Ten

Dean got a text from Cas after work that day, asking him to pick up a change of clothes from Cas’s house and maybe a few things for Kevin.

Cas’s house was small and well kept. It was easy to find his room and grab a few things for him. He grabbed a couple books and toys from Kevin’s room for him.

When he got to the hospital Kevin was asleep. Cas thanked him and he left. Everything was tense, but it was going to be ok. Cas said it was just a flair up, and he and Kevin would be home probably by the end of the week.

“He’d better hurry up and get well Cas,” Dean joked. “I may just start to like my makeshift partner better than you.” This almost made Cas laugh, and Dean was happy to see the tension ease from his friend’s face, if only for a moment.

Life was pretty ordinary for Dean. He got to know Garth more. Garth was perhaps a little too passionate about things sometimes, but he was pretty fun. Dean fixed some cars at work, and waited for Cas to get back.

It had been pretty much silence from him ever since Dean had dropped off the things for him. Dean knew there were perfectly good reasons for him not calling. He had his son to worry about. And there was probably all that medical and insurance stuff that Dean didn’t even want to begin to think about. He knew this. But he still missed Cas, more than he thought he would have. And then it happened.

It was the middle of the night again. Dean woke up to his phone ringing. Remembering what had happened the last time, he picked up right away. Cas’s voice was afraid again.

“Dean. Please come to the hospital. Something happened. I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll be right there.”

When he got to the hospital, he found Cas pacing the waiting room again. He looked up as Dean arrived. He looked bad, worse than when this whole thing had started.

“What happened?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know,” Cas said. “They won’t tell me. All I know is I don’t want to be alone right now.” Dean nodded and sat down. Cas sat beside him. They sat in a tense silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Eventually a nurse came out to see them.

“We have stabilized him,” she said. “You can see him now.” Cas and Dean stood.

“Is he going to be ok?” Cas asked. The nurse looked sympathetic.

“We don’t know.” Cas nodded and followed the nurse back, Dean trailing behind.

Kevin looked even worse than the last time Dean had seen him. He looked even paler and his breathing was uneven. There was a sheen of sweat over his face. Cas sat down beside him. It was obvious he had no intention of leaving until this whole thing was over. Dean sat beside him. He wasn’t going to leave Cas alone this time.

Several days passed with no change. Kevin woke up sometimes, but spent most of his time unconscious. He wasn’t getting better, but he didn’t seem to be getting any worse either. Dean had been staying there with Cas. Cas wasn’t going to leave Kevin, and Dean wasn’t going to leave him.

Then Kevin took an upturn. He was still pale, but not as much as he had been before. His breathing, though still shallow, was falling into a more regular pattern. He was spending more and more of his time in the waking world. The doctors were calling it a miracle. Dean had always had rotten luck when it came to miracles, but who knows. Maybe this one was for real. The relief of Cas’s face was enough to make the days spent at the hospital worth it.

Before long they received the news they had been waiting for. Kevin was going to be ok. He would be able to go home the next day. He would have to spend a while resting, but he was going to be ok.

Of course, that’s where everything went horribly wrong.

Dean awoke in the middle of the night to the high pitched sound of a heart monitor bearing the worst possible news. In moments he and Cas were forced out, doctors and nurses surrounding the bed. They stood helpless in the waiting room, just waiting for the news.

A doctor came out to speak to them several hours later. He said they had done everything that they could. He said it was all up to Kevin now. He said Kevin was a fighter. He said Kevn could pull through. He said he was sure of it.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw for nightmares of child abuse

The funeral was on a Sunday. It was awful. Not awful as in a bad ceremony, awful as in sad. It hurt Dean to see Cas so sad. Dean didn’t say a word throughout the whole thing. He didn’t feel like he completely belonged here. But Cas had asked him, and so he had to go. He was about to leave afterwards when Cas approached him.

“Dean. I was wondering...” He trailed off.

“Go ahead Cas.”

“Can I stay at your place? I just, I just don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Of course. Come on.”

The ride to Dean’s house was silent. Dean offered Cas the bed, but he declined. He took the couch, and barely said a word to Dean. Dean called Bobby and explained the situation. Bobby said that he and Garth could take over their shift, and that it was alright. Dean relayed the news to Cas, who nodded, but didn’t say a word. Dean offered him some leftovers for dinner, which he declined. He just showered and went to sleep. Dean couldn’t say he blamed him. He just wished there was something he could do.

Cas had been staying with Dean for three days. In that time he hadn’t said a single word and had barely eaten anything. Dean knew he was grieving, and that he needed time and space. It was hard for him to not hug Cas. To wrap him in a blanket and make sure he knew that he was going to be ok. But he didn’t, because that wasn't what Cas needed right now. Right now he just needed to feel whatever he was feeling, without anyone telling him it was going to be ok. Right now he just needed time.

On the fourth night, Dean had a nightmare.

He was a kid again, and his dad was angry. He went after Sammy, just like he usually did. And just like usual, Dean distracted him. Stood in front of Sammy. Taunted John. Got John to hit him instead of Sam. He was scared and hurt, but usually John took most of it out on him, and then Sam would be ok. Except that’s not how it happened this time. John hit Dean until he couldn’t move. But he could still see. And then he hit Sam, and it was the worst thing Dean had ever seen. Sammy screamed and cried. Dean could hear bones crunch. He couldn’t move. He tried to call out, to distract John, but he found that he couldn’t speak. He could only watch helplessly as John hit and Sam screamed. John gave a particularly powerful kick, and Sammy’s screams stopped. He fell next to Dean, his eyes open and unseeing. Dean found that he could now scream, and he cried out for Sammy. For it not to be true. It couldn’t be true. He awoke with a gasp, Sam’s screams still ringing in his ears.

Dean was panicking. He couldn’t think. All he could see was Sam’s blood and all he could hear were Sam’s screams. There were tears on his face, blurring his vision. He couldn’t think. Cas. Cas was safe. Cas wouldn’t hurt him or Sammy. Cas would never hit a kid. Cas was on the couch. Cas could help him.

Quietly, Dean padded out to the living room and headed for the couch. Cas was there. Cas was safe. Slowley, he laid down beside Cas. If he had been able to think at all, he never would have done it. But he couldn’t think and Cas was there and Cas would make everything better. Breathing deeply, Dean relaxed. Cas smelled like honey and cinnamon and something sharp that Dean couldn’t identify. He was warm. He was safe. Dean fell back to sleep quickly.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw for nightmares of past child abuse, but not quite as graphic as the last chapter

Dean woke up slowly. He was pleasantly warm. He felt safe. Beside him, Cas shifted.

Wait. Cas. The events of last night came rushing back, causing Dean to tense and pray that Cas was still asleep and that he could get up before he woke up. He turned to face Cas carefully. He was still asleep. Score one for Dean. Hopefully he could get up and Cas would never know that this had happened. There was just one issue. Cas’s arm was slung over Dean’s back and Dean was warm and he didn’t really want to move anyway. He shifted experamently, and froze when Cas shifted too.

Looking back over at Cas’s face, he could tell that he was still asleep and he breathed a sigh of relief. However, his relief didn’t last long as Cas’s eys fluttered open and oh they were incredibly blue and that was possibly the most beautiful thing Dean had ever seen. He could stay here forever, just looking into Cas’s eyes when he was all cute and sleepy and this was just perfect.

“Dean,” Cas began. “Why are you sleeping on the couch with me?” He looked so adorably confused and this was the first time he had spoken in the past four days and Dean didn’t even bother coming up with a lie. Not that there was any lie that could easily explain this while still holding onto some sense of realism.

“I had a nightmare,” Dean explained. “I couldn’t think and well, you felt safe.” He immediately regretted saying that, looking anywhere but Cas’s face.

“I felt safe?” Cas asked.

“Yeah. Like you wouldn’t hurt me or Sammy,” Dean muttered, fully aware of how stupid it sounded. But Cas didn’t laugh. He just nodded thoughtfully.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Dean thought for a moment before shaking his head. He couldn’t yet, and he told Cas so. Cas nodded again.

“How about breakfast? I’ve barely eaten in days. I’ll make pancakes.” Dean nodded, feeling almost too cold when they detangled and stood up. It was worth it however. Cas made amazing pancakes.

They didn’t talk about the nightmare. When evening came, Dean went to his bed and Cas went to the couch. It was as if nothing had happened. Which is exactly what you wanted, Dean reminded himself. So why did he feel so cold? And why did it take him so long to fall asleep?

He was back in the dream again. It all happened as it had the night before. Dean distracted John, but not for long enough. He was tossed aside, unable to move. But he could scream this time. He screamed and screamed as John hit Sammy. His Sammy. His brother. Sam’s screams were worse tonight. Somehow more painful. With a final kick, Sam fell next to Dean. He wasn’t breathing.

“You know you’ll never escape this, Dean,” John said. “You’ll never escape me. I’ll find you. I’ll find you and your brother. You’re not safe. Not anywhere.”

Dean woke with a gasp. There were tears streaming down his face. He couldn’t breath, He couldn’t think. He couldn’t move. John was coming for him. John was going to kill him.

And suddenly Cas was there. Cas was pulling him close. Cas was speaking to him. He couldn’t understand what was being said, but it was comforting. Cas was breathing steadily. Slowley, Dean’s breathing began to slow to match Cas’s. Cas was tracing shapes along Dean’s back and Cas was telling him it would be ok and Cas was there. Dean just hugged Cas tight and cried until he fell asleep.

Dean woke up in his own bed. He was warm and comfortable, like he had been the previous morning. He looked over to see Cas sleeping beside him. But this time, he didn't try to escape. He didn’t think he could even if he wanted to. Cas’s arm was thrown over him and their legs were intertwined.

So he watched Cas. He watched as his eyes moved under closed lids. He observed how much more peaceful Cas looked in sleep. How much younger. He watched as Cas awoke slowly, peacefully. His eyes opened slowly and Dean realized he was in love. Cas smiled sleepily at him and Dean’s heart practically melted.

“Did you sleep well?” Cas asked.

“I always sleep well when I sleep with you,” Dean answered. It was stupid and cheesy but it was the truth.

Dean never slept alone again.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

“Are we going to talk about this?” Dean asked one morning.

“What’s there to talk about?” Cas asked.

“Us. What are we? What are we going to do? How far is this going to go?” Cas smiled.

“We’re whatever you want us to be. We’re going to do whatever we do. This is going to go as far as you want it to go. I love you, Dean Winchester. I think I’ve loved you since I first saw you in the shop.”

“I love you too,” Dean answered. “I don’t know when I started loving you. On that first day, I say your eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.” Dean pressed a kiss to Cas’s cheek. “You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” Cas smiled softly. 

“I think,” Dean continued, “That I’ll take this as far as you want it. From here on out, I’m all in. I love you, Castiel Novak. I think I always have.” Cas pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Dean’s mouth.

“We should tell Gabriel. He’d be so pleased with himself. I think he probably noticed it before we did.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” They lay there in perfect silence for a moment before Dean broke it.

“Pancakes?” Cas laughed.

“Be careful Dean. I might think you’re just in this for my cooking skills.” 

“You got me,” Dean said. “Guilty as charged.” Cas moved to get up, but Dean  
wrapped his arms around him more tightly.

“Dean, I need to get up to make pancakes. Believe it or not, I can’t  
magically make breakfast from here.”

“Pancakes can wait,” Dean decided. “Just stay with me for now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s all folks!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not quite sure I'm completely happy wih this yet, but if I don't post it then I'll never have the motivation to finish the rest of it. Opinions?  
> You can follow me on tumblr @theweightofmyfandoms or @loooiiee (my main blog)


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